The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1887-07-15

a drum. heal court udlSnal Is "a
diguified farce. 1t is Convened TO
convict. The idea Is thst he victim
is guilty, but mus be disposed of
according to The regulations OF the
War Department. The fact that |
openly and boldly approached the
Union picket, and that | was com
ing from the Rebel lilrs,,carried no
weight in my favor. The oficer OF
the picket said that | was certainly
u spy, and that settled il. When
they finally condeSceuded to hear
my explanation | gave my name
and stated that the General TO whom
made my reports wonld indentify
me. | stood in neither awe uor
fear, knowing how easily | could be
the conrt were opposed to giving
me this chance for my life, but it
was finally decided to dispatch an
orderly and adjourn The court for an
hour. | was conducted back to the
guard-houSe TO wait, aud when
again taken before tue officers | ex-
pected to be discharged without
delay. You can, therefore, Imagine
my feelings when | was informed
that General -- utterly reputli
ated me. My regiment and compa-
ny were a dozen miles away, aud l
telt that it would De useless to ask
further delay. In teu minutes | was
found guilty aud sentenced to exc
cntiOn at sunrise, and before mid.
night Il scaifold had been prepared.
Why bad General --- denied my
identilyf The only excuse | could
offer for him that he was drunk
when the messenger reached him.
RouSed from bis stupid sleep he had
winked aud bliuked at the COmmu-
nicatiOn and made ont portion of
il, and then tiung ii down with the
assertion that he knew no one of my
name. The gaIows was erected
near where | was confined. Some
beams and boards were taken from
an old abandoned house and the
structure was Il very rude flair. |
could plainly hear every blow
strnck, aud the fellows engaged in
putting it up seemed 10 waut me To
.OVerhear their uatrellnS remarEs.
About an hour before daylight
curious change took place in me. |
began to wonder it was really the
man | claimed tO be, am it was not
fifteen minutes before | came to the
conclusion that / was some one else
in fact, a rebel spy, as they de
clared. The idea took such a firm
lodgment in my mind that | would
have honestly denied my real iden.
tity. felt that | had been fdrly
tried aud honestly convicted, aud
that ought to suffer death. There
was no particular terror in The idea.
The only thought about hanging
which made me cringe was the fall
ing through the trap. 1t seemed to
me, as | Iehected 0u IT, that the pain
would be something awful, bnt
was cOnsoled at the same time With
the reflection that it would soon be
over. Halt an hour before sunrise
Iwas brought ont and escorted to
the gallOwS.
If | remember right there was
about half company of infantry
on the ground. Only a few sUdierS
in camp were ont TO witness the
proceedings. They had graciouSlN
provided me with spiritual cOnSOld
ten in the presence of chaplain,
bat though the good mau talked TO
me for twenty minutes | did not !
hear Que word in twenty he uttered.
was all the time wondering how !
long before it would all be over,
and every minute OF delay made me
inpatient. When the time came
for me to mount the scatf0ld ] was |
really glad of it. There was moth
ing in the sight of the dangling rope |
TO cbill me. | took my place on the |
trap, the chaplain uttered n prayer,
and then soldier quickly tied my |
elbows and ankles aud pulled cap |
over my head. 1t was a matter OF
seconds now, and | said Ia myself:
s'It is coming now goOd-by TO all. !
1t will soon be over" They had to |
cut rope underneath to spring the |
trap. Ny sense of bearing was so
acute that | located the man who
stood with the AK ready to do the
service at IA given signal, and l
heard him whisper TO bImselt
"Why iu Gods name do they keep
the man so lOug in suspense 70
Then l began to count one, two,
three, and so on, and had got up to
nine, when | heard shouting not
far away and mingled With it the
sounds of horses coming at a gallOp.
"Don't cut that rope" command
ed the officer 10 charge, aud l said
to myself: "SOmethiUg has gone
wrong, aud there will be a further
delay. Perhaps L am to be shot.
That would he an easier way to die
There was some loud talk around
me. Two or three people came mp
the ladder to the platform, aud di-
rectly a hand pulled the cap Of my
head, aud voice said:
"Captain, there Is some terrible
mistake here. THIS is Roberts, Que
of my scouts"
sBut you did not know bin last
night.S
II know him now, and you viii
release him al once"